One reason to be VERY careful NOT to be SEXIST on DU:A BRILLIANT TRAP MAKES DEMS THE MALE CHAUVINIST

[Nikki Stone1]

A BRILLIANT TRAP MAKES DEMS THE MALE CHAUVINISTS

By KIRSTEN POWERS

August 30, 2008 --
(snip)

One Obama supporter and political operative blogged, "In picking an unknown, untested half-a-term governor from Alaska . . . John McCain is following in a long line of reckless men who have rolled the dice for a beauty queen."

Do we really have to do this again? No sooner was Hillary Rodham Clinton out of the race, and a new woman is in the cross hairs. On CNN, during a discussion about whether it was appropriate for Palin to accept this job when she has a baby, Dana Bash pointed out it's unlikely anyone would ask this of a male candidate. I can't help wondering if this is a trap. The McCain camp watched and learned as Obama supporters offended Hillary supporters by their treatment of her. The McCainiacs had to know that this group is incapable of behaving, that Palin would bring out their worst instincts.

One top Republican said to me: "Just wait until she is debating Joe Biden and he starts attacking or condescending to her. Hillary voters are going to say, 'Oh yeah, I remember this.' "

The McCain camp has already made clear it stands at the ready to scoop up these voters. Yesterday, Palin proudly acknowledged her historic selection, the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the woman who paved the way for her, Geraldine Ferraro. Ferraro told me she's excited for another woman to be on a presidential ticket. She sees Palin as a risky choice - but also dismissed the idea that she's unqualified. And she rejected the idea that all the so-called "Hillary voters" would be repelled by Palin's staunch anti-abortion views. These voters know the Senate will have a veto-proof Democratic majority, so that lessens the potency of that issue.

Howard Wolfson, Hillary's top strategist, said "it won't help with most Hillary voters, but it could help with some."

"Some" of 18 million people is what the McCain camp is after....

More at the link

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08302008/news/columnists/a_brilliant_trap_makes_dems_the_male_cha_126765.htm

[TwilightGardener]

1. I agree, the GOPers are dangling a pretty but unqualified woman out there, just

hoping that Dems fall into the trap of saying something that sounds sexist, which will supposedly get women all riled up--but the selection of Palin ITSELF was a cynical, sexist move.

[Nikki Stone1]

2. But even your statement itself plays into the GOP game

Mentioning her looks and calling her unqualified, especially when she has allegedly run a state. The GOP will point out that Obama never ran a town or a state (No matter how small the town was.) You have to be VERY careful. It only takes a few disgruntled Hillary voters to throw this race. We can't have McCain and anti-choice Palin--we just can't. DON'T PLAY INTO THIS.

[TwilightGardener]

4. I'm not going to refrain from saying she's unqualified, because she is--

she is not Presidential material, she never gave a thought to national or international issues until McLoon asked her to be VP, and she doesn't have enough of a record to even point to. I don't think it's sexist to call her unqualified.

[Nikki Stone1]

6. She is the governor of a state--you'll have to do more to show she's unqualified

That's why the threads on her husband interference in her job are important. The threads on her pregnancy are NOT.

I agree that she does not seem qualified, and if her husband has been using her as a front, we need to know that. But you have to do that without insulting all women.

[TwilightGardener]

10. ??--Being Governor for less than two years is not in and of itself

a qualification--she hasn't been there long enough to build much of a record. Her record as mayor was bad--she left her town deeply in debt. All she's proven so far is that she can get elected. She has NO record of working on national and international issues, she does not have the academic credentials, she is simply not qualified.

[progdonkey]

3. well, if the NY Post says so...

:eyes:

The only sexism is coming from the Republicans, who think women are so stupid that they'll either vote for a horribly unqualified woman whose beliefs are the exact opposite of their own solely because she's a women, or not vote for Obama because Joe Biden didn't coddle her in the debates.

Your post is nothing but concern trolling.

[Nikki Stone1]

5. I have been here a very long time and to accuse me of being a "concern troll" is against the rules

My post is trying to get you knuckleheads to understand that this election is NOT A WIN yet. The continuing posts bashing Palin on her motherhood and her looks play right into the GOP game.

[progdonkey]

11. as is lobbing personal insults

knucklehead.

You posted an editorial in Murdoch's NY Post by a token liberal who frequents O'Reilly and Hannity that characterizes Obama's voters of being "incapable of behaving", and that Palin's experience problem is really Obama's (following the typical Right Wing and MSM tactic of characterizing everything as "good for McCain").

The editorial is the definition of concern trolling, and you posted it to DU.

[LostInAnomie]

7. The only Hillary voters that would be "swayed"...

... are the ones that were looking for a reason to be "swayed" away from voting for Obama in the first place. They were never going to vote for him in the first place. They just wanted their asses kissed.

The sexist fools that were only going to vote for Hillary because she's a woman don't deserve my respect. Let all 5000 of them vote for Miss Mooseburger.

[AmyCamus]

8. Kirsten Powers hits the nail on the head.

We can beat them on the issues.

[meow2u3]

9. Here's one way to beat the "male chauvanist pig" trap

Point out Biden was the one who championed the Violence Against Women Act, equal pay for women, and other women's issues, explaining that if his pro-woman legislation weren't passed, Palin would never even had the opportunity to be Governor or a Vice-Presidential pick.

If it weren't for Biden's passionate support of gender equity, Palin would never even had the chance to use the office of Governor to protect her sister from her ex-BIL.